happy, healthy & a clear conscience

Tag: makeup

Today I went to my local mall only to find out that The Body Shop was no longer there… Many words were said by me to the empty bay in the middle of the mall.

Once I got over this bad news I decided to go get my hands on some products I’ve been wanting for a while now. I had to place an online order of the products I wanted from The Body Shop, so I will make a post about those soon!

I am so excited that I picked up Born This Way by Too Faced at Sephora. I’ve only heard rave reviews so far about this product. It is my first more expensive foundation I’ve ever owned. As soon as I use it I’ll be sure to let you guys know. I’m not sure I believe that this is my actual color though, I think it looks too dark… We’ll have to see. I just love the box and product packaging. It is really cute!

Then I walked three stores down to LUSH. I spent too much time in there and only bought two things. One was this shampoo bar. Its called Montalbano and smells like lemons. I LOVE lemons and shampoo bars. A match made in citrus clean heaven. I’ve never tried this product either so keep your eyes peeled for a review… pun totally intended.

My absolute favorite soap in LUSH is Sexy Peel. I’m so happy that I was able to pick some of this up during my shopping trip. It also smells like lemon, hence the name. This scent always wakes me up when I take those early morning showers and after a long steamy shower the whole bathroom smells super clean. I can’t wait to use it tomorrow morning ❤

These are two samples that I’m really looking forward to using. Happy Hippy is a citrus scented body wash and Jasmine + Henna is a hair treatment for dry/frizzy locks. I have NO idea how these will end up, but I will let you know as soon as I do.

I can’t wait to try all of these products and let you know how they work!

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As summer comes to an end I find myself gravitating towards more “summer” colors. I guess thats just me attempting to fight fall off as much as possible! haha Anyway, with my recent stop at the local Walmart I picked up a few items from a brand that I have never tried before. I decided that I would step outside my comfort zone and pick up some Flower Beauty brand items! They claim to be proudly made in the USA and that they do NOT test on animals… They are NOTon Peta’s nor Leaping Bunny’s CF lists. If this makes you uncomfortable then please, please, please, let me know in the comments section. I saw this brand on Logical Harmony’s CF & vegan brand list. I do really trust Logical Harmony’s opinions and that is why I took a leap of faith when it came to this brand. However, I understand if you think that Flower Beauty isn’t CF until it has been Peta or Leaping Bunny approved!

UPDATED: It has been recognized by Peta and will/does have the Peta bunny logo on their products! Yay ❤ 😀 ❤

Now, with that out in the open, lets start with this review!

Flower Beauty’s Lip Butter in the color Princess and the Peony!

The packaging is adorable! It’s a great size and who wouldn’t be happy to see this little guy in their makeup bag? It’s just begging to be used 😀

It comes out of the tube just like any other lipstick. However, it is not a lipstick. It’s a smoother and lighter lipstick. It feels almost like a lip balm when you apply it. It’s moisturizing and not too sticky. I steer clear of lip sticks/glosses/balms/whatever that feel sticky. It grosses me out! The color is a pink/orange tone with flecks of gold shimmer. It’s a really beautiful color.

The top color is the Lip Butter. The bottom is a swatch of something I will be reviewing at a later date… But isn’t it a pretty color? Anyway, this Lip Butter is not very pigmented and the above swatch is after three layers. I really like how it feels on my lips but it is very close to my natural lip color without a few layers of it. It provides a nice sheer and shimmery finish, perfect for daily wear! It doesn’t turn your lips into a disco ball, just a hint of shine and shimmer to add something nice to the pale color… How many times can one person say shimmer???

If I’m being honest, I would feel much better if had Peta’s or Leaping Bunny’s little bunnies but I do trust that they are truly CF. I will be contacting them myself and I will update you guys on whatever I find out. That way we can all be a little happier 😀

This is the product on my lips after a few coats. I really liked how it looked! I don’t usually wear lip products so having something this light and cute was a good transition for me! I will say that I forgot to pack it in my purse when I went on a date last night and by the time I had some popcorn it had mostly worn off. By the time Guardians of the Galaxy (the movie Ian and I saw late last night) was over I completely forgot I had it on my lips earlier. It was 100% gone. It doesn’t claim to be long lasting, and I’m glad, because it is NOT! I do still really like it and will repurchase. They have some great color options too!

Unfortunately, you can only buy this brand at Walmart or Walmart.com. I hope that this will change at a later time. I’m not a huge Walmart fan and their makeup sections always look picked over and cluttered.

I really hope you enjoyed this review!

-Dianna ❤

Questions: Have you ever tried this brand before? Do you feel comfortable with this brand even though it is not Leaping Bunny or Peta approved? Do you have a CF brand that you trust that isn’t LB or Peta approved? On a nice night out do you go for a more subtle or bold lip color?

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So, have you just found out that companies like Urban Decay, The Body Shop, Burt’s Bees, and Tom’s of Maine (just a few examples) are owned by companies that are NOT CF? Have you known this for a while and just do not know what to do?

It is sad news when one of your favorite brands might get knocked off your CF list because it is owned by a larger corporation that does test on animals. Businesses revolve around money and at the end of the day any company can possibly be bought out. I am going to assume that the CF company in question is now just owned by a non-CF brand and is not changing their own testing methods. If the CF company is now testing on animals because of the change in power, or is selling in areas of the world (most likely China) that REQUIRE by law to test on animals then, like most, I would not consider that a CF company anymore.*

The real question is what should YOU do about this news? It’s scary taking on questions like this… but that is why I am here to help!

Here are a few tips on what you should do:

Calm down and decide what you actually believe! Push other people’s opinions out of your head and really give this a good thought with your opinion and facts. Do you think this decision makes the CF company in question still CF? Do you want to support a company that you consider to be CF even though they are owned by a company who is not? Do you think that by supporting a CF company that is owned by a non-CF company you are still following YOUR morals and values? Have you done some research on the company to make sure they will continue to follow your beliefs?

Do not throw away everything with their name on it! Did you decide to no longer support that company? If you did, please do not waste not only all of the money you/someone spent on those great items and valuable products you probably still like. Remember, you probably purchased them before you knew anything about their parent company and you considered them a CF brand. Your heart is in a good place but don’t waste anything like that!

Keep yourself informed! Companies change all the time, and whether or not you decide to keep buying from a particular brand you need to always make sure they are in line with your beliefs. Who knows, they might get bought out by another company soon and you’ll be right back here trying to figure out what to do! (Check back here as much as you want! 🙂 )

Respect other people’s opinions! This is a hard decision and it is not something to be criticizing others about. This is life, people disagree, but there should be a level of respect when it comes to information like this. While I might really want my other CF friends to believe what I believe, I cannot force others to abandon their morals to adopt mine. We are all making decisions with the best intentions. Remember, if you are even worrying about this issue you are doing your part to be CF. Isn’t that what matters?

Explore other options! Use this news as the perfect timing to try other products. I know I know… Once you’ve found the perfect shade of lipstick you don’t want to let it go. I totally understand 🙂 However, when was the last time you tried a new brand for the first time? or a new product in a brand you already adore? We all get stuck in our ways and I think news like this can bring out the adventurous side in all of us! Even if you don’t ditch that great lip color, you can try other ones too. It’ll be worth it, I promise 😀

So, there you go! My top five tips to deal with confusing parent-child company relationships. I really hope you found this useful and please let me know what you thought: Good or Bad! Remember, this is your decision and YOUR decision alone. Do not let others decide what is best for you and always keep yourself informed on the facts!

-Dianna ❤

Questions: What company made you upset when you found out they might not be CF anymore? Do you support companies who are owned by non-CF brands or not? Have any other useful tips for readers on what to do when you find this out?

*In case you were wondering, Cruelty-Free Confidence does not believe that a company is truly CF if it’s parent company is not CF as well. *This blog now will contain products from brands that may have non-cf parent companies. This change of heart happened over a couples of months. It is what is best for myself and those within my household. Thank you for understanding this change in opinion. We all have the right to change our minds! This in no way should sway your opinion. Every person has a different set of guidelines and that is something that should be respected. 🙂

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I plan to only post three times a week but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity! The YesTobrand is one of my favorites (hence the review that was posted earlier today!) and they are doing a giveaway this month! In case you don’t frequent their page like I do, I thought I would bring the information to you. I am not giving away $500… (I WISH!) but they are, so if I were you I would head on over to their page and check it out! You can click their image below or go to their website/facebook to enter!

They are also having a competition for their new YesTo blueberries face & neck oil! You can win a year’s supply of this great stuff if you use the hashtag #YesToHeart in your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pictures! Just use the hashtag in a picture that displays something that keeps you feeling young at heart. You can click their picture below to find out all that you need to know to enter.

Good luck everyone (I hope one of us wins!) Have a great day and don’t forget to check out my first review of the YesTo brand below! 😀

-Dianna ❤

*I am in NO way paid or sponsored by YESTO or any other company/person. All of the images above are that of the YesTo brand and I do not take credit for any of them! When you click on them you will be brought to THEIR website and THEIR contest. I am not involved in these contests (only as a fellow contestant lol) and have no connections to who wins or not! Thank you for your time 😀

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My sophomore year in college was one of great change and exciting new adventures. My family moved to a new city across the state, and I transferred to the University of my dreams, leaving me with a lot of boxes and no real friends anywhere in sight. Thankfully, due to my boyfriend’s great friend making skills, I was able to meet a couple people even before classes started. One of these new friends would, one year later, become my roommate and her decision to become a Vegan changed my outlook on life (she doesn’t know this just yet lol) My roommate’s decision and countless sad and uplifting animal videos/ stories lead me to change how I think about things I use. Who knew almost everything we use on a daily basis was probably tested on an animal? Once I found this out I COULD NOT WAIT to start buying cruelty-free (CF) items.

I swear this video isn’t bad! It is one of the many reasons why I chose to research CF products. One of my favorite uplifting videos 🙂

I have thought about becoming a vegetarian and a vegan. I am not quite ready for that plunge just yet but I thought that becoming CF was a good first step to my ideal lifestyle. Slowly, but surely, I am changing my personal products to CF ones and I hope to reach 100% CF by the end of 2015. I hope that this blog can show my progress throughout the year transition and beyond. Becoming CF is a lifelong decision that I am not taking lightly. It has been difficult for me to find reliable resources that I believe in and honor. I thought that the things I am searching for in my transition and all of the information I am gathering from all over the place would be useful for someone else. I could only find a few at first and a lot of the products that were promoted were too expensive for my undergrad budget. I hope that this blog helps others find their CF mission a little less stressful. I am always open to helpful comments, good or bad, and questions! 🙂

One misconception is that you have to go in all or nothing when it comes to a CF lifestyle. Always do what YOU are comfortable with and do not feel like you HAVE to do anything. If that means just changing what make-up you use or changing everything in your home, any CF purchase is money that supports great organizations who have fantastic morals. Have any questions? Feel free to ask, I will always do my best to answer or find someone who can help!

Have you checked out the whole blog yet? You can learn more about myself, Cruelty-Free Confidence as a blog, and where to find CF products by clicking on any of those red words or on the left side bar, under the home button. You can follow my CF Pinterest board, filled with CF products and companies I love! I will be posting new content three times a week (usually mondays, wednesdays, fridays) on this blog. I will also be posting things on my Pinterest account whenever I find something I love! So, stay tuned!!!

I can’t wait to start this journey with everyone! 😀

– Dianna ❤

Questions: What made you consider/become CF? Are you new to the CF community, like me, or an expert? I’d really love to talk about your experiences!